After months of negotiations, the Seattle Public Schools District has failed to deliver a fair contract to the Seattle Education Association (SEA). The SEA, which took a historic unanimous vote last week to strike, have set up picket lines starting today.

I appeal to the community to stand with teachers and join us at the picket lines this week and also at the community meeting Thursday at 6 pm,” said Councilmember Sawant. Please find a picket line to join at your neighborhood public high school. For more info, visit the SEA website.

The union is on strike for the first time in 30 years. Councilmember Kshama Sawant, a teacher and member of the American Federation of Teachers Local 1789, strongly supports the union’s struggle for a fair contract and their stand for high quality education and equity for all of Seattle’s children. To help build support for educators, City Councilmember Sawant invites you and the public to a community meeting this Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6 pm.

“I am proud to donate $500 from my salary to the SEA strike fund, and I urge others who can to do so as well. The teachers are on the front lines in the struggle to ensure all our children are receiving the high quality education they deserve.”

“The educators’ demands are completely reasonable. In the face of skyrocketing rents and increasing costs for basic needs, the teachers have sacrificed for 6 years with no pay raises from Olympia. As a former adjunct professor without job security, I understand too well the difficulty teachers have making ends meet. I fully support their demand for 6% raises over 3 years to make up for the loss in pay,” said Councilmember Sawant.

“For too long the legislature has ignored the needs of our children and bent over backwards to give corporations handout after handout. Boeing executives got a special session. Where is the special session for education? Teachers are faced with stagnating salaries, overcrowded classrooms, too many standardized tests, and inadequate resources. It’s high time the legislature did their job, stop ignoring the 3 ballot initiatives by state voters to lower class sizes and raise teachers’ pay. Fully fund education now!” remarked Councilmember Sawant.